Unlocking Her Heart
by yorusorra
Summary: From her point of view, it was hard to trust anyone by that point. Everyone who she thought wouldn't leave her had left, leaving a broken girl behind. When someone wants to get to know her, she's not sure who she can trust. Who's to say they'll get to know her, make her feel loved, and just leave her behind again? FreLu, BixLu or LaLu. Rated M for a reason.
1. Intro

_Team Natsu was falling apart._

It didn't come to a surprise to the blonde Celestial Mage. She figured something this great couldn't last forever. Everyone was going their separate ways. She noticed it as soon as Natsu and Lisanna announced their relationship to the Guild. Natsu had told Lucy that he wanted to be partners with Lisanna after their relationship was out in the open, and Lucy respected that. She understood his urge to be with his girlfriend and mate-to-be, so she held no ill-will towards the Fire Dragon Slayer.

Than Juvia and Gray got together. Lucy saw that coming as well. Gray may be a fool for his inner feelings, but she knew that he wouldn't leave Juvia hanging for much longer. Lucy knew that Gray held the same feelings for Juvia, he just didn't know how to express himself with words. He was more of a man of action then words. It helped that the blonde bombshell of Fairy Tail knew her friend well.

After that, Erza started taking more "solo" missions, but Lucy knew she was going out to meet with a certain blue-haired Heavenly Body Mage. Erza told her that she had been in love with Jellal ever since they had been children, and that love only grew since than and didn't dwindle. She had also told Lucy that she had taken solo jobs before just to meet with the blue-haired mage, so Lucy knew that those solo missions were just to go out and visit her beloved, which was fine as well. She knew how Erza must feel and accepted that as well.

Though Lucy couldn't help but feel a little bit lonely. She missed her team. Could they even be considered a team anymore? They barely did any jobs as a team. Lucy usually went solo, or she went with Wendy. They didn't break into her apartment anymore, which she was grateful for, but she did miss their presence. At first she hated how her team always invaded her privacy, but now she sort of missed having them around.

She missed Gray and Natsu's bantering. Missed the way that Erza would slam their heads together, or just growl their name in a murderous voice to get them to shut up. She missed Happy's teasing, even if they made her feel self-conscious. She knew that what most of what the stupid cat says wasn't true, but she couldn't help it. She was sure most girls were self-conscious about their image.

Lucy wanted to show off how much stronger she had gotten over the past year. She had trained and trained all year long so that she could earn her spot on Team Natsu. No matter how many times they all told her she was strong enough to be on the team, she always felt out of place. They were all out of her league, and she wanted to show them that she belonged there. So she trained almost constantly with Capricorn. She got her magic levels up, learned new spells, learned Star Dress. It was a feat for a Celestial Mage such as herself. Even her mother hadn't gone past the Star Dress stage, as Capricorn had told her. She could perform Urano Metria with ease now.

Now after all that hard work of proving herself to be on the strongest team in the Guild, they were drifting apart. She felt a little deflated. How could a girl not? All of her best friends were going their other ways and leaving her behind.

At least, that's what it felt like. She felt her heart shattering into a million pieces as she watched her friends go out without her. As if she was just a piece of paper that could be thrown away. Which, she knew that wasn't true. She knew she was being spiteful, and that they weren't entitled to staying with her. It was why she kept to herself more. Sure, she still hung out with Wendy and Levy. She talked to Mira whenever she was at the bar.

She didn't go out of her way to talk to people anymore.

What was the point if they were just going to leave her in the end?

It was why she kept herself so closed off. She still talked to Mira and Levy, and she sometimes chatted with Gajeel when he was sitting at their table but she didn't want to get closer to anyone else. Everyone else that she ever got close to always went their separate ways from her. She didn't want to go through all that trouble in getting to know someone, just to have them walk out of her life like everyone else did.

Even if she didn't want to be alone.

Lucy sighed as she took a few sips from her milkshake, glancing around the Guild. She felt her heart shattering into a million pieces every day. It just got worse and worse, and it started when she had to sacrifice Aquarius to save her friends. The Guild still didn't know about that, and she hoped that it stayed that way. She didn't want them feeling guilty over something they couldn't have changed anyways. No matter what her Spirit friends said, it was still her fault that she had to sacrifice her friend in any way. If she had been stronger, if she had been quicker than it could have been avoided.

However, you can't change the past. No matter how much you dwell on the situation. No matter how much you want to.

Things happen for a reason. Lucy has to believe that everything that has happened thus far, will change for the better.

That she will get her own happy ever after.

* * *

 **So yeah, this happened. I really like it, and I rewrote the ending like three different times to make sure that it flowed correctly. This is going to be a FreLu, BixLu or a LaLu - it just depends on where my fingers take me, or I might make a poll at the end if I can't figure out who I want her to end with. It'll probably end up being a LaLu because I just ADORE that ship, but we'll see what happens when it writes itself.**

 **I needed something else to write, and I was going to work on "Coping Mechanism", my RoLu that I have planned but this story took over and demanded to be written, so here we are. I hope you enjoyed this little introduction of sorts! Leave a review, favorite/follow if you liked it. :) Coping Mechanism may still come because I have this nack for writing multiple things at a time, or just going back and forth between them so that I don't loose my muse.**

 **This wasn't even the other fanfic that I wanted to write, lol. I had another idea planned and wanted to write that, but things change I suppose. Nothing I can do to change that. Sorry about my babbling, but yeah. XD**

 **~yorusorra**

 **P.S. This may get a title change. This was just the first thing that came to mind when I was working on the fanfic. :)**


	2. Chapter 1

"Don't you think Cosplayer is acting a little weird?"

Bickslows voice echoed through Freed's ears as the green-haired man blinked, glancing over at the Seith Mage who had his lips pursed, deep in thought. The Rune Mage quirked an eyebrow, glancing over at the table the Celestial Mage was sitting as his eyes furrowed. She seemed fine, talking to Levy and Gajeel about something as she drank her signature milkshake. Though, when the Rune Mage looked closer he could tell something was off. Her normal shine was gone. The light in her eyes that used to light up an entire room had dimmed considerably, her smile didn't reach her eyes. How when she thought no one was looking her whole demeanor changed as quickly as it came.

Something wasn't right.

Lucy was supposed to be the light of the Guild. She wasn't supposed to have that dimness in her eyes, or a frown on her face. It just didn't look right to him. For him, Bickslow, Ever or Laxus it was fine because they had always had a frown on their face, or for the most part wore an emotionless mask. Lucy on the other hand shouldn't have that look on her face. She should be full of life. She should give someone a reason to live.

Freed pursed his lips as he nodded. "Yeah, there is something wrong..." He narrowed his eyes at the thought. He had noticed something was wrong as soon as the Guild reformed, though he didn't want to say anything about it. The Celestial Mage had always piqued his interest, at least just a little. She was smart, and her magic was rare. With his knowledge, there was only three left; Yukino of Sabertooth, their own Celestial Mage and the Princess.

"What are you boys talking about?" Evergreen butted in, her eyes glancing in between Freed and Bickslow. Her brow was scrunched in confusion as she watched her two best friends, raising an eyebrow.

"Cosplayer," Bickslow stated simply, glancing over at the blonde Celestial Mage before glancing back over at the Fairy Mage. "How she's not acting like her normal self."

Evergreen pursed her lips as she glanced over at the blonde, opening up her fan as if to conceal her face as she did so. They all had a soft spot for Lucy. She was the first one to forgive them for all their past transgressions towards the Guild, and while Lucy hadn't been with the Guild for that long - it made a huge impact on them. While they hadn't tried to get closer to the blonde - Bickslow was the only one that ever went over to talk to her, mostly to make jokes or call her his silly nickname - they all kept an eye out for her. She had this aura that naturally drew people in and made them want to look after her.

They all watched as Lucy laughed at something Gajeel said, but it wasn't as bubbly as it used to be. Gajeel just smirked as he glanced over at Levy, who was watching her blonde friend with a small smile on her face. Evergreen's face softened at the sight, but there was still a hard look in her eyes when she watched the pretty blonde with her friends. "You know, I was noticing that too. Have you guys noticed that Team Natsu barely does any jobs together anymore? Gray is always with Juvia, and Natsu is always with Lisanna. Erza does her own thing most of the time. They used to be tight to the hip and barely away from each other," the Fairy Mage narrowed her eyes, as if thinking something but shook her head, frowning.

Bickslow nodded his head, glancing over at Evergreen with a thoughtful look under his visor. "I don't think I've heard Cosplayer complain about her team breaking into her apartment since the Guild got back together. I haven't heard her complain about her rent either, so that means they haven't really been doing anything together. That would take a toll on someone," he added, leaning forward in his seat as he placed his chin on his hand, "but I don't think that's the reason she's changed so much."

"What do you mean?" Freed asked, raising an eyebrow. "That could change anyone. Especially with her upbringing."

"Her upbringing?" Evergreen questioned, her head tilting to the side in curiosity. She didn't understand what her _upbringing_ would have to do with Lucy changing over the years.

"Lucy lived quite like me," Freed stated matter-of-factly with a small nod of his head. "She ran away from home just like I did, to get away from a marriage just like I did. She had troubles with her father, like we all did. From what I heard, her father neglected her throughout her childhood after her mother passed. They had many problems, and her father didn't really approve of the life she was living now. I also heard that after Cana confessed to Guildarts that she was his daughter, she was going to try and reconcile their relationship but never got the chance to."

"That's gotta be rough..." Evergreen cringed, shaking her head in pity as she watched the blonde. "But I agree with Bicks, Freed. Something else made Lucy change. She started acting weird after Tartaros. I noticed it before we all went separate ways."

"How did you know all that, Freed?" Bickslow questioned, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "Have you been stalking her or something? Is there something you're not telling us?" He teased, amusement glistened on his face as his tongue lol'd out of his mouth. His Babies flew around his head, repeating "Stalker! Stalker!" over and over again.

"No!" Freed snapped, his eyes narrowing into thin slits. "I did not stalk her. I asked around. As a curious mind, I wanted to know more about our new member," he rolled his eyes, failing to mention that he's had a crush on the blonde ever since the S-Class trials, when he saw how determined she was to make Cana S-Class. There was also the fact she was the only one who figured out where Mavis Vermillion's grave was. She was an interesting person, and one couldn't help but fall for her.

He was sure he wasn't the only one.

Evergreen's eyes narrowed in suspicion as well, but for another reason. She pursed her lips as she glanced back over at the blonde. The Fairy Mage was sure that Laxus had a crush on the Celestial Mage. She didn't fail to notice the older blonde taking an interest in Lucy. How he would always watch her when she came into the Guild, how he also asked around to make sure the blonde was okay when she got home from missions. Did Freed also have a crush on the mage? She could see why the boys would fall for the girl. If Evergreen was a lesbian, she probably would have a thing for her. If Freed also had a crush on her, that could spell trouble for the team. The dynamic could change if either of the boys found out, or if either of the boys got together with Lucy.

"Are we just talking about this or are we going to do something to try and help her?" Evergreen asked instead, ignoring her jumbled thoughts as she leaned back in her chair. "If we noticed something is wrong, than I am sure others have noticed. Though why no one has made a move to help, I am not sure."

"Wouldn't it be weird if we were just to suddenly waltz up to her and start talking to her?" Bickslow asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow at the Fairy mage as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I mean, none of us really know the girl that well. We never made an effort to get to know her."

"I don't think it would be weird," Evergreen retorted, shrugging. "They would just think we are trying to make new friends. Which is true. I wouldn't mind having another girlfriend to hang out with. It gets rather boring hanging out with you boys all the time. A girl likes to talk about girl stuff, gossip and go shopping," she added, rolling her eyes. "Besides, Lucy needs new friends. Especially now that her team is drifting apart. The only people I ever see her talk to is Levy, Gajeel, Wendy and Mirajane. We could ask her to come on a job with us," she suggested with another shrug of her shoulders.

"You want to take Blondie out on a mission, Ever?" A new voice popped in, and the team turned around to see their leader standing there with a look on his face. He looked slightly confused, but intrigued about what conversation the trio were having. Had he really been gone that long? "Why the sudden interest?" The Lightning Dragon Slayer asked as he sat in his normal chair, glancing around his three teammates.

"We were just talking about how she seems so sad now," Bickslow pipped up, leaning back in his seat and placing his hands behind his head. "We were going to ask her to go on a mission to try and cheer her up."

"Cheer up! Cheer up!" The Babies chorused, flying around the table as the mages talked.

Laxus raised an eyebrow at his team, amusement was evident on his face. "You think asking Blondie to come on a job with us would cheer her up?" He repeated, looking between the three. They all nodded their heads, and Laxus pursed his lips. "I'm not sure if she'll even accept. She's keeping her distance for a reason," he reminded the three, shrugging his shoulders.

"There's no harm in trying," Evergreen stated with a shrug, a small smile forming on her lips. "Besides, I think she needs this. I can ask her, if no one else wants to."

Laxus eyed his team, sighing at the looks they were giving him. "Alright, fine. We can invite her to come on a mission. But don't be surprised if she says no. From what I heard, she's been having a pretty rough time here recently."

"I'm sure she'll say yes!" Evergreen stated confidently, a small smirk on her face as she glanced over at at the Celestial Mage one more time.

"How are you so sure, Ever?" Bickslow asked with a smirk of his own on his face, raising an eyebrow under his visor. "The only other person she goes on missions with is Wendy, and that's only because no one can say no to that kid. Trust me, I've tried..." He added as an after-thought, shivering at a memory.

Evergreen had a gleam in her eyes that made all the guys shiver, "don't worry about it, Bicks. I am a hundred percent certain that she'll agree to go on a mission with us!" the self proclaimed Queen of the Fairies declared, raising her fan in the air as if to empasis her point.

The boys looked amongst each other with a sigh. "Why am I suddenly scared for Lucy's health?" Freed asked no one in particular, earning a few grunts from that comment.

"I'm not going to do anything bad!" Evergreen snapped, rolling her eyes at the childish men at her table. Honestly, why did she even tolerate these fools? "I'm just going to persuade her a bit," she shrugged, earning another round of sighs from the table. She just rolled her eyes as she glanced back over at the Celestial Mage, who was now leaving the Guild.

Yes, she thought. Lucy was going to join them for a mission.

She wasn't going to allow her light to dim any more than it already was.

 **What do you think? This came out rather quick! I am impressed with myself, tbh. Never thought I'd update this so soon. My muse for this is strong right now. I already have a few ideas for the next Chapter and am going to start on it pretty soon. I have a lot of ideas for this fanfiction and am super stoked to write it.**

 **I adore writing the Thunder God Tribe! They are too cute. The next Chapter will most likely be in Lucy's POV. It'll alternate between the Chapters.**

 **I hope you liked this! Leave a review, follow, and favorite! I would love to know your thoughts. :) Don't expect these fast updates all the time. I just have the muse for this right now.**

 **~yorusorra**


	3. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. If I did, NaLu wouldn't be a thing. Sorry NaLu shippers, I just don't see what you see.**_

* * *

Lucy stared at the blank piece of paper for a long time before she finally sighed, placing her ink pen back into it's holder and carefully placing the paper back on the bottom of her parchment.

Writer's Block had struck pretty bad. Ever since Tartarus, it had been hard for Lucy to even get back into her characters. It was tiring, and Lucy was afraid she might have to scrap it all and start fresh. She really didn't want to, because of how far it was and it was just coming to the climax - but sometimes these things have to be done.

Placing the manuscript back into its box, Lucy stretched out her limbs. One good thing about her team not coming over as often is that she didn't have to worry about property damage. Which meant that her novel and her mothers letters were safe from fire, from being torn to pieces by a sword and/or frozen. She valued her novel and her letters over everything else and would be absolutely devastated if anything were to happen to them. Especially the letters, since they were a way to cope and get her feelings out.

She's always written her letters to her mom, but she's taken to writing to her father as well. They were never really on the same page most of the time, but she still loved him and missed him dearly. He would always be her father, no matter how harsh he might have been when he was alive. Lucy knew now that all the stuff he did when he was alive was out of love. He just had an awkward way of showing that said love.

The blonde sighed as she stood up from her chair, getting out any wrinkles that would have been made by sitting for so long. It was time to get a job to be able to pay her rent. She was almost there, and would have been there already but she had to get some groceries so she wouldn't starve to death. She was in the habit of over-getting groceries and had to get out of that habit. She always got more than she needed because of Natsu, but now that he wasn't coming over as much there wasn't really a need to anymore.

She hoped there were some good solo missions on the board that she could do. She didn't doubt her abilities as a mage, but she tried to not do any remotely dangerous missions on her own. With her new abilities, she was stronger than ever and the only mage in the country that had these abilities. Yukino couldn't do Star Dress yet; it took a lot of magical power to be able to keep up with the magical pressure the moves gave. Celestial Magic was very powerful; magical wise. It took a lot of magic to even keep a gate open, as Freed once told her.

Lucy chuckled lightly, shaking her head. She walked over to her drawer and rummaged through her towels - picking out two. One for her hair and another for her body, before taking out her silk pink pajama set. She loved the feel of these pajamas, and she had to have them when she saw them in a nearby boutique. She ever rarely goes on a shopping spree - only when she had the extra money to do so. She's taken to putting the extra money into a savings account for safe keeping instead of shopping, but every once in a while she'll let herself divulge.

The blonde Celestial Mage undressed, turning on the shower to let the water warm up. After a few minutes she gracefully stepped into it, sighing in relief when the warm water hit her. There was nothing more that the blonde loved than a shower after a long day. Faking happiness so that her friends wouldn't worry was hard work, though it was a little too easy since all the practice she had before running away.

After a few hours of thoroughly washing her body and hair, the Celestial Mage turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. She pulled her hair in one of the towels before drying herself off with the other one that she brought. Putting on her pajamas, she stepped out of the bathroom - flinging the used towel into the hamper beside the sink.

The blonde walked into the Kitchen and grabbed a piece of fruit out of her fruit bowl as a bed time snack. She wanted to get to the Guild bright and early tomorrow to be able to pick out a good job. She wanted a high paying one; which meant fighting, and Lucy didn't really enjoy fighting like her other Guild mates did. She liked the puzzle missions - ones she never got to do while she was on Team Natsu.

Lucy sighed, shaking that thought from her head as she took a bite of her apple. As much as she missed her team, she felt that going solo from time to time or working with Wendy really helped her magic get stronger. She could feel it, and while she went without Team Natsu she could actually take care of herself instead of her team protecting her; sense she did get kidnapped all the time while on the team. Lucy reckoned that it was only because she hadn't had a chance to train. She was always going on missions with Natsu, or the team and that didn't leave any leave-room in between which at the time she was fine with. Now though, she enjoyed the quietness and being able to do what she wants from time to time.

Even if that did leave her a little lonely.

* * *

Evergreen had gotten to the Guild early in hopes of finding Lucy before she chose a job. She wanted Lucy to come with them for their next job - not only because she would love to have another girl to spend time with, but the boys in her group seem to like her. At least, she was fairly certain Freed and Laxus liked her more than just a friend. Bickslow she didn't really know, but he basically hid his affections for anything with a joke; unless it was for his Babies. Freed was usually the same with his mask, but after last night Evergreen couldn't be too sure. Evergreen just watched Laxus like a hawk, so she knew better with him; though Laxus rarely hid anything when he was with the team.

The Fairy Mage was sure that the boys were still asleep, as it was fairly early and they never really got up before ten unless they were on a job. They were all lazy bastards when it came to their sleep. Freed was the most surprising with that case, because of his personality and just who he generally is; but Evergreen couldn't fault anyone when it came to sleep. Every once in a while, she was the same way; but she was on a mission and she wouldn't stop until she got it done.

It broke the brunette's heart every time she saw Lucy in the Guild. Every time she gave one of their Guild mates her fake smile, or faked a laugh that she knew wasn't genuine. It hurt Evergreen that she knew Lucy was hurting, and no one was making a move to help her heal. The Fairy Mage was secretly pissed off at her Nakama for not noticing how the Celestial Mage was hurting. Honestly, how could they not tell? The people she was most disappointed in was her team. She knew that they weren't really close-knit anymore, but couldn't they at least do something to help? After everything she's done for them?

Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration at her Guild. She honestly didn't understand. _Why wasn't anyone helping her?_ Evergreen just couldn't sit and let Lucy break herself into tiny pieces. The blonde was worth more than that, and she'd be damned to watch it happen. She wanted the bright and bubbly blonde back, not the one that looked like she was just _existing_ and not _living_.

"My Evergreen, you're in here early."

Evergreen blinked at the cheery voice that interrupted her thoughts. Shaking her head, she turned her head to face the platinum blonde barmaid who just grinned at her; setting her sweet tea down on the table. Mira's face was full of curiosity as she watched the brunette, her head tilted to the side. Evergreen narrowed her eyes in suspicion as Mira's face pulled into one of a seemingly innocent face. "I am usually in here early, Mira..." she started, watching the platinum blonde carefully.

Mira was basically a loose-canon; especially when it came to her scheming. Those were endless, and her non-stop wanting for babies nearly made the Fairy Mage cringe. She knew that the take-over mage meant well, but it was honestly annoying when she did it all the time. "Do you...?" Mira asked, a little too innocently when she batted her eyelashes.

"Mira..." Evergreen warned, narrowing her eyes even more. Mira already knew that she was talking to Elfman. They had been talking for a while, and only recently started going out more together. While they weren't really together yet, they were just taking things slow. Especially sense the year that the Guild had been apart, they had kind of lost touch until they reformed again.

"Alright, alright..." Mira sighed, a genuine smile on her face. "But you know I'm always here if you need help!" She chirped before she walked away, leaving Evergreen to shake her head in amusement. That girl never failed to amaze the brunette, especially when it came to the love lives of the Guild.

The door finally opened and Evergreen's eyes instantly turned; a grin appeared on her face when she saw the target of her day. The Fairy Mage watched as Lucy walked over to the bar, ordering her infamous smoothie that she always got. The mage watched as the Celestial Mage chatted with Mira, though the smile didn't reach the young girls eyes. Evergreen started to sip on her sweet tea, watching as Mira walked away to do something in the kitchen - leaving the blonde at the bar alone. Lucy's shoulders slumped forward, and a sigh escaped her lips that pulled into a frown.

That settled it for Evergreen. Taking one last sip of her tea, she stood up from her seat and marched down the stairs. It only took a few quick strides before she made it towards her destination, taking the seat to Lucy's left. The blonde didn't seem to notice Evergreen as she stayed in her thoughts, stirring her smoothie with her straw as she stared down into the drink blankly. "Is everything alright, Lucy?" Evergreen asked, genuine concern etching on her face.

The blonde in question blinked in surprise, glancing up at Evergreen with wide surprised eyes. "Oh! Sorry Ever, I didn't see you there..." She apologized, that fake smile plastered on her face again - causing the Fairy Mage to frown. "I'm fine. Honest." Evergreen knew that was a lie. She could see it on the blondes face, no matter how much of a bright smile she tried to give.

"If you say so..." Evergreen shrugged, taking Lucy's word for it for now. The Fairy Mage gave the blonde a bright grin, clasping her hands together and placing her chin on top of her hands. "I was wondering if you'd like to go on a job with us?" She asked, tilting her head to the side in curiosity.

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise again, not expecting that question from the brunette. The blonde pursed her lips, glancing over at the request board before glancing back at Evergreen, who was giving her a look of hope. Lucy sighed, dropping her head for a split second before glancing up at the Fairy Mage. "I don't know, Ever. I was just going to get a solo job and go myself..." The blonde murmured, cringing when Evergreen put her hands up like she was praying.

"Please, please Lucy? I want to get to know you, and going on a job would be the perfect way!" She chirped. Evergreen knew she was begging at this point, and honestly, she didn't mind. She was willing to do anything if it meant to get Lucy out of her funk; and if she had to beg then so be it.

"But... do you guys really want someone like me tagging along? I'd just drag you guys behind... I'm sure with power houses like you, you finish jobs easily and quickly..." Lucy tried to protest, degrading herself like she usually did. Which, with all honesty was true. While she was strong for a mage like herself, she paled in comparison to Mages like the Thunder Legion. She'd just embarrass herself if she went with them on a mission; especially if she ended up getting kidnapped.

Evergreen narrowed her eyes at her. "Don't even say that! No, don't even think it!" The Fairy Mage snapped, flicking the blonde with her fan and causing her to yelp. "Lucy, you're the strongest mage I know. Don't degrade yourself ever again," she growled menacingly, narrowing her eyes even more as the blonde nodded her head meekly. "Please, come with us. We'd love a chance to get to know you. We never really got to before, because of how busy you were all the time. We really would love it if you came!"

Lucy eyed the mage suspiciously, wondering if this was a trick. The only person who ever wanted to go on a job with her was Wendy; and the occasional Levy and Gajeel, but she didn't want to be the third wheel in that group so she always declined. However, when Evergreen's resolve didn't falter, the blonde sighed dejectedly. She really didn't want to try and get closer with anyone else; but she couldn't turn down the mage in front of her when she was practically begging her to come. "Alright, fine. I'll come."

Evergreen squealed in delight and gave the Celestial Mage a hug, surprising the girl once again. "We'll have so much fun Lucy!" She grinned, pulling back to look the girl in the eyes. Evergreen could see a flicker of light dance in Lucy's honey brown orbs, and Evergreen's smile softened at the sight. Lucy must have been lonely doing all those jobs by herself, and without her team.

 _You won't be alone anymore_ , the Fairy Mage vowed as she started talking to the blonde about various things.

 _I'll be by your side the whole time._

* * *

 **Finally. Just, finally. Idk what the problem was with this damned chapter, but it just didn't want to be written. I'm not sure when the next will be uploaded; when I'll get inspiration most likely, but I know what I want in the next Chapter as well so that should be easy too. But who the fuck knows at this point! I did start it so maybe it'll be done sooner. Heh.**

 **When I started this, I had no idea how much people would like it so thank you from the bottom of my heart for your showed support. I promise to finish this through to the end, no matter how long it takes! And I think this'll be a long one, but we'll see in the end. I had wanted them to at least depart for the job in this Chapter, but the boys didn't want to corporate so it stopped here. ;)**

 **This turned out to be longer than I expected it to be, and I am grateful for that. I was afraid it would be terribly short.**

 **Remember, vote for your guy! FreLu, LaLu or BixLu! Ofc it's ultimately my decision in the end, unless I honestly cannot pick which male she should end up with which can become a possibility. :P A huge one because I love them all. You guys have no idea how much I love the Thunder Legion! And Evergreen is too adorable; I love her to death.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! As always, leave a comment if you did. I love hearing your thoughts.**

 **~yorusorra**


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer - This is the last time I'm putting this disclaimer up, because it's becoming awfully redundent. I don't own Fairy Tail, cause if I did, NaLu would most definitely NOT be a thing. Sorry not sorry.**

 **And I usually do long author's notes at the end, but I am going to do one here as a warning. This is a FANFICTION. This isn't going to fit EVERYONE'S needs and wants, and quite frankly I DON'T CARE! I love writing, and I love these characters. Don't like it? Don't read. It's that simple. I feel that this is realistic to the Anime, and like where MY story is going. Think you can do better, than you can write your own fanfiction instead of bashing other people's work for the fun of it. For everyone that is enjoying this fanfiction, I love you all and I am glad you are enjoying this! Remember to root for your ship!**

* * *

"I wonder if Cosplayer really will come with us."

Laxus blinked his eyes, turning his head towards the Seith Mage who was walking on his left side. Bickslow had his lips pursed as if he was thinking, which made Laxus smirk in amusement. "Better be careful Bicks, wouldn't want to hurt that brain of yours for thinking too much."

"Fuck you, Lightning Asshole!" Bickslow snapped, narrowing his eyes at his so-called leader. In reality, Freed was the leader of the Thunder Legion - but whenever Laxus came on jobs he was ultimately in command. Laxus didn't come often anymore, since he was working with helping his Gramps out with the Guild. He was in training on becoming Guild Master, after all, and they all respected that. Laxus had enough money saved up that he didn't really need to go on jobs anymore, but he did out of boredom.

"Ever was pretty sure of herself..." Freed added, lost in thought as well. They all wanted the Celestial Mage to come with them; for different reasons, but most were the same. They wanted to help her get back to her usual self. They all hated the lost look in her eyes; the way she seemed just lifeless. It was most troubling, and even though the Thunder Legion wasn't known for actually helping people - she was well worth the trouble.

There was always a first for everything, after-all.

The Lightning Slayer just grunted, glancing forward; his lips pursed in a thin line. "If she doesn't want to come we'll respect her wishes. I'll be completely honest; I do want her to come, and I think that you guys are right. This will help her, and she needs more people she can rely on," The Slayer grumbled, glancing in between the two that were walking with them. "If my hunch is right though, Evergreen should already be at the Guild. She wasn't at the house when I left." Evergreen shared a two bed-room apartment with Laxus until she could find a place of her own. She hadn't wanted to go back to her dorm in Fairy Hills and wanted something bigger, since she was now seeing Elfman. Her dorm wasn't big enough for the big guy to come around all the time; especially if they planned on having dates at her place, _without_ the watchful eye of his sisters.

"She's probably already trying to coax Cosplayer into joining us," Bickslow cackled, his Babies repeating 'Join us, join us' over and over again. "I really hope she does. It would be fun to get to know Cosplayer a bit more without learning from the grapevine." Everyone grunted in agreement. Most of their knowledge of her _was_ from the grapevine and not from _herself_ specifically. They knew that most of what they know was true to form about her, but a lot of it was just that; rumors. Really, they didn't know what was actually true and what was just a rumor.

Soon the building that their Guild resided in came into view. Silently, Laxus pushed the doors open - slamming them against the railings. Everyone's eyes went towards them, and the Lightning Slayer just smirked. He hadn't meant for that grand of an entrance, but he wasn't going to complain about it. His eyes scanned the crowd as he looked for the only girl on his team, only for his eyes to blink in surprise to see her sitting at the bar with none other than the girl of his dreams. It seemed that the door slamming off its hinges hadn't stopped the girls from talking about whatever they were talking about.

With purposeful strides he walked over to where the girls were sitting, nodding to Mira to tell her to get him a beer. She gave him a look, but shrugged it off as she got a couple mugs. Probably for both him and Bickslow. Freed rarely drank. He only did on occasion, and even than he didn't get shit-faced like the rest of them. He never really liked the feeling of being drunk, or the feeling that alcohol gave him period.

Evergreen's eyes lit up when she saw the guys coming over to where they were sitting. "Laxus, Bickslow, Freed!" She waved them over, a shit-eating grin on her face. Lucy turned around, smiling brightly at the boys as they sauntered over to the bar; giggling at the confused looks on their faces. Laxus raised an eyebrow when they finally stopped in front of the two, looking between Ever and Lucy. "What, I told you I was going to talk to her yesterday! Geez. You should know by now I never back out with anything that I do!" The brunette haired girl huffed, rolling her eyes at the blonde haired man in front of her.

Laxus just rolled his eyes as he glanced over at the Stellar Mage, amusement etched on the blonde's face. That's the most emotion that the blonde Slayer has seen on her face in months and he couldn't help but smile softly at the young girl. "So I take it Ever has asked you to join us on a job?" The hulking Slayer asked, raising an eyebrow at the smaller blonde.

Lucy bit her lip before she nodded her head. "Yeah, she did..." Although, she was still a little apprehensive about going with them on the job; a small part of her told herself that it wouldn't be all that bad. Plus, they only took S-Class or SS-Class missions; so this should help her stay ahead. At least for a little while, anyways.

The Lightning Slayer raised an eyebrow. "And...?" he prompted, wanting to know her final decision. Everyone of the boys wanted to know.

"I decided to tag along," She stated brightly. Evergreen was beaming smugly at the boys; probably dancing to her victory song at her accomplishment. Laxus resisted the urge to roll his eyes again as he smirked down at the Stellar Mage. Inside though he was ecstatic. He was secretly hoping that would be her answer. He wanted to spend more time with the beautiful mage, but she was always busy. It didn't help the fact that he was also busy with paperwork, and if he wasn't doing that he was on a job.

Besides all that, he was shy and awkward. Even though it really didn't show on the outside; on the inside he was screaming right now. It also didn't help that he was still guilty about how he treated her way back during the Phantom Lord incident. While he already knew that she forgave each and everyone of them, he still hadn't apologized for that specific event. He always planned to, but never really got the chance.

Now maybe this job will give him the perfect opportunity to; as well as get to know her more and form a stable friendship before pushing for something more.

"I'm sure you'll make an excellent addition to our team, Lucy," Freed smiled, causing Laxus to shake out of his inner musings with a small frown. "I am quite interested in how your magic works!" Freed added, "I've read all about it after you joined the Guild, but never once saw it in action. Except for at the Grand Magic Games, and during the S-Class trials. I'm curious to see it in a job setting."

If Laxus was being honest with himself, he was also a little curious. Lucy has proven that she is a formidable mage; having bested Bickslow not once, but twice. Bicks was not at all a push-over, and for Lucy to have beaten him at all was no small feat.

The blonde in question just chuckled nervously. Something flashed in her eye that Laxus saw, but couldn't really figure out what it was. "I've improved since joining so long ago, but I wouldn't say I'm anything special..." she stated shyly with a small smile. "Especially if you compare me to you guys," she added with a small shrug.

"Nonsense!" Freed denied her accusation of herself, causing Bickslow and Evergreen to nod in agreement. "You're magic is wonderful! You have such rare and beautiful magic that needs to be praised!

You're a one of a kind Celestial Mage! Your bonds with your Spirits is one to rival with and you have most of the Zodiac! That is no small feat!"

Laxus watched as Lucy's eyes lowered for a mere minute before she gave them her award winning smile that made his heart beat faster. "Thanks for your kind words, Freed! That makes me happy that someone thinks that way!" The blonde's eyes twinkled for a minute, though there was a hint of sadness that she tried to hide. The green-haired man blushed, ducking to hide his embarrassment while the blonde Slayer just raised his left eyebrow in question.

Why did it seem that Lucy looked so sad while talking about her Spirits? It didn't make any sense to the blonde Slayer. He glanced over at Evergreen, who just merely shrugged. Seemed like she didn't know what was going on with the Celestial Mage either.

"Well, it's Evergreen's turn to pick. You can help her choose what job we go on," Evergreen squealed, grabbing Lucy's arm as she pulled the blonde toward the request board. Laxus watched them walk off with a frown on his face. There was something wrong with the Celestial Mage.

 _He was going to figure out what that was._

* * *

 **Yeah, I know. It's on the short side. I'm sorry guys! This story starts out really slow, but it'll pick up soon! Remember, no one knows about Aquarius yet. I already know who she'll tell first and how it might happen!**

 **Again, if you see something you don't like than I am terribly sorry, but this is MY story and if I want to write it this way I will! Just keep in mind that this is FANFICTION, and not EVERYTHING will appease you! If I wanted to add Unicorns and Flying Lepracauns, I could! There's no one that is going to stop me!**

 **Remember to root for your ship! So far, FreLu and LaLu is surpassing BixLu by leaps and bounds! FreLu and LaLu are actually really close. LaLu might be a point or so above FreLu. Remember, I don't have a set update schedule. I just update when I feel like it! And demanding me to update isn't going to make it update faster. I have to get the motivation to write, and with motivation I need inspiration. So patience is virtue.**

 **~yorusorra**


	5. Chapter 4

To say that Lucy was nervous would be an understatement.

Lucy was beyond nervous. The blonde frowned at the pavement as she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. She should have said no. She didn't like going out on team missions much anymore, and preferred the solitude when she worked alone. She didn't have to worry about the facade she's worked so hard on the past year, and the few months of being back in the Guild slipping when she worked alone. Yeah, she worked with Wendy every now and then; but they weren't always together. Sometimes they had to split up, but with a bigger group they could have more than one person in a searching party if they had to split up.

The blonde Celestial Mage hadn't done a team mission in over a year, and Team Natsu hadn't done any missions together sense the Guild got back together. It was daunting, to say the least. She was afraid she was going to mess up, or worse; get kidnapped again. When she was alone, she didn't have to worry about any of that. Working with Wendy was okay too, because they both had to pull their own weight and neither wanted to play the _damsel in distress._ They both lacked a lot of confidence and really needed an ego boost.

It wasn't like Lucy doubted herself as a mage. She knew she was a strong and capable mage; learning Star Dress was a feat in itself, and she had some reign over the water magic that Aquarius gave her. Now she was capable of fighting for herself instead of using her Spirits as shields; which she never did anyways, but if she didn't need to call them out she didn't have to. That reassured the blonde greatly; knowing that they wouldn't be put in any danger.

That they wouldn't have to be put in the same fate as Aquarius.

Lucy clenched and unclenched her fists as she breathed in deeply; using the breathing methods that Capricorn gave her when she felt a panic attack coming on. She needed to stop this. Aquarius wasn't dead. She was still alive and well in the Celestial Realm. She sent Lucy letters every now and than, Scorpio told her about their many dates while out on jobs (Lucy didn't _dare_ to call on Scorpio when she _wasn't_ on a job. She feared the wrath that Aquarius would make, and she was _sure_ that the mermaid would find a way to get out of the Celestial Realm to Water Ride her for interrupting _anything_ that the long-time couple were doing).

Subconsciously, Lucy's hand went for the pendant around her neck as she squeezed the broken key; carefully not to make herself bleed. She smiled faintly when the keys at her hip warmed, indicating that her Spirits were always there when she needed them. She patted her keys fondly, a loving smile on her face. That's one thing that will never change. Her love for her Spirits were strong, and nothing would replace that.

Lucy glanced up, wondering where her temporary teammates were. She had gotten to the train station early in order to recollect herself, before she did anything stupid. No one knew about the sacrifice she had to make, and she wanted it to stay that way. This was her burden to fight alone and she'd be damned if she was going to let anyone else feel guilty over something that they couldn't have stopped anyways. It was common knowledge how Lucy loved her Spirits. Everyone in the Guild knew, and for them to find out she sacrificed one of them to save their lives.

Lucy shook her head of the thought. That would tear them up. Then they would be pissed because she didn't tell them right away; but how could she? Gajeel, Natsu and Wendy had all lost something that day too. She would have been selfish if she brought up the sacrifice of her Spirit in their time of mourning. So, she kept her mouth closed. She mourned the loss of Aquarius by herself, and than she had to mourn the loss of her family right after.

While everything wasn't okay right now; at least she still had her family. That was all that mattered.

Lucy's face broke into a wide grin when she finally saw the Rajinshu walking over to the train station. Evergreen, Bickslow and Freed were fighting over something as Laxus walked in front of them; looking slightly annoyed. His arms were crossed over his chest as he glared at everyone, muttering something under his breath. Lucy couldn't help but giggle at the scene, humor dancing in her eyes. She knew that this group was feared because of how strong they are; and some people still resented them for the whole "Battle of Fairy Tail" incident, but they were still adorable and still wonderful mages. They reminded her of her old team; and while that was still a tough subject, she couldn't help but smile fondly at the memories.

Memories were precious things, and she didn't want to lose them. No matter how hurtful they can be.

"Laxus, Ever, Freed, Bickslow!" Lucy called the team, waving them over to where she was sitting on the bench. All four heads snapped up when they heard her voice; Ever's face broke into a wide smile as she raced over to the other female, gripping the Celestial Mage into a bone crushing hug.

"I am so excited to be working with you, Lu!" Ever gushed, her eyes sparkling with interest and glee. "It'll be nice to actually have another girl to talk to! It can get boring at times with only guys on the team," she stated teasingly, throwing a look towards the three male mages.

"How long have you been here, Miss Lucy?" Freed asked, ignoring the mock-hurt gasp that Bickslow made. He was surprised when he saw her already sitting on the bench. The Rune Mage hoped that she hadn't been waiting for long. It was rude to keep a lady waiting, and he would be guilty if she had been waiting for too long.

"I got here early so that I could get some errands done," Lucy waved her hands dismissively, leaving out the fact that she needed to gather her emotions before she met up with the group. "And please Freed, call me Lucy. No need to be so formal with me," the blonde joked, causing the Rune Mage to blush.

"If you say so, Lucy," Freed agreed, a small smile on his face.

Laxus raised an eyebrow at the exchange but said nothing as he glanced over at the girls. He already knew that Freed felt something for the blonde; it was hard not to like her. Though, how deep those feelings went he didn't really know. He'd have to ask his friend later on. "What job are we going on?" He asked with a grunt, raising an eyebrow. They wouldn't let him see the job flier, which had worried him just a bit; seeing as it was Ever's turn to pick the job. The girls had just told them to be here by seven, and pack enough for a month or less. Or, it was more Ever doing that than Lucy.

Evergreen and Lucy grinned at each other before handing the flier over to Laxus. "There's a town that's a couple hours away from here called Suta that has an orphanage in need of help. The owner is being harassed by a dark mage and wants us to help keep the orphanage safe. So I am guessing she's wanting us to get this dark mage arrested. Says the mage is easily S-Class, and he has a couple of stooges that are with him as well. Should be an easy enough mission for us to handle," the brunette grinned as she watched the boys go over the mission. When she had saw how desperate the flier sounded, she just had to pick it up. Plus, the pay wasn't bad at 600,000 split five ways. This would be a perfect way to see how Lucy works on a job.

"Why did you ask us to pack enough for almost a month?" Bickslow asked when he finished scanning the job, glancing over at the girls with a raised eyebrow. It seemed like an easy enough mission. This kind of thing usually only took the team a couple weeks at most; and now that Lucy was joining them, it should take even shorter. Bickslow had heard Lucy was a bit of a Fairy Tactitian so with Freed and Lucy's brain power, this should be an easy quick job.

"The mage doesn't show up all the time," Lucy was the one that answered with a small shrug as she played with the ends of her hair. "Sometimes he comes around every other day, or it's every other week. So she doesn't know when he'll actually show up," the blonde explained with a small smile.

Bickslow nodded in understanding, pursing his lips in thought. "So basically we're being sent as guards?" He asked, with his famous tongued grin. His babies swirled around his head, repeating "guards, guards" over and over again.

"Pretty much," The blonde quipped with a nod. "She's afraid one of the kids are going to get hurt and wants help."

"That's understandable," Freed nodded his head, a thoughtful look on his face. "I'm sure she doesn't want any of the kids getting hurt. That would be a disaster," he shook his head, a small frown on his face. He understood why Evergreen wanted to do this job. It seemed like this woman desperately wanted to protect her children and they would do everything in their power to keep them safe.

After buying their tickets for the train, the Rajinshu went to their normal cart. Lucy followed them timidly, not really knowing where they were going. Her eyes widened when she saw the cart they had, her eyes sparkling in interest. Team Natsu didn't have the funds to get their own station, so they were usually cramped up together on a train. So this was a nice change of pace. Plus, no Natsu with his motion sickness to throw up everywhere. That was definitely a plus.

Lucy took a seat beside Evergreen as everyone placed there bags up on the shelves. Virgo had already taken her bags in the Celestial Relm; so she didn't have to worry about those. Not that she ever had to ever since she got Virgo. The maid was always willing to help; even with the smallest of tasks.

"Didn't you pack anything, Lu?" Evergreen asked, raising an eyebrow when she didn't see the blonde put her bags up. In fact, she didn't even see any bags; which was a little perplexing, because she knew that they had to pack for a long trip.

Lucy just giggled. "Virgo took my bags to the Celestial Realm. She's always ready to help when I need her to, after all," she smiled softly at the thought of her Spirit. She had always been that way; even when they weren't contracted.

"That's the Maid Spirit, right?" Freed asked, causing the blonde to look over at him in surprise.

"Yes. I'm surprised you remembered that," she grinned, her eyes shining brightly. "Sometimes she even comes out when she's not needed..." Lucy laughed lightly, shaking her head in amusement. Her Spirits had unique personalities, that was true. It was all the more reason why she loved her Spirits.

The ride to Suta was uneventful. Laxus looked like he was about to throw up; Lucy figured that Motion Sickness was a trait all dragon slayers had. Lucy wondered if she should have offered to help, but decided against it. He was way too proud to accept her help anyways; even if she were to offer assistance. And what could she really do? The only other dragon slayer she ever went on jobs with was Natsu; and he only laid in her lap while she played with his hair. It _seemed_ to help him, but who's to say that works on all dragon slayers?

There were small conversations here and there; to which Laxus grunted in some of his opinions, although he was more focused on trying not to dwell on the motion sickness. After a few hours of nothing but chatter, the cart got quiet with evened breathing. Laxus opened one eye to see Bickslow and Evergreen sleeping, Ever's head was resting on Lucy's shoulder as the blonde looked outside the window. She seemed deep in thought, and Laxus could see sadness in her eyes that she hid so well earlier.

It was amazing how this girl could jump from one emotion to the next. She was a wonderful little actress; hiding her emotions so well from everyone in the Guild. This was why no one was making a move to help her when she obviously needed the help.

Laxus wasn't so sure their rag-tag group of mages were the right choices when it came to helping the Celestial Mage. They may not be the right choices to help the once-bubbly blonde, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let her drown in her emotions by herself.

He already almost went down that path. It wasn't a fun road to be on, he knew that from experience.

Still though, Laxus couldn't help but wonder what put the once happiest girl in the Guild in such a sorry state. That look of longing doesn't belong on her face. Shouldn't even _be_ on her face. She should be full of life. Now she just looked dead inside; like she had nothing left to live for.

Laxus frowned at that thought. He continued to watch Lucy out of the corner of his eye, his eyes hardening as he watched her. Whatever had happened made a huge impact on the small blonde, that was for sure. It was big enough to change her to a big extent that was noticeable; if you paid close enough attention.

The Lightning Slayer glanced over at the other mage who was awake; finding that he too was watching the Celestial Mage closely, even though his face was in a book like usual. This would be trouble-some. He didn't know how deeply his best friends feelings ran for the blonde. The only thing Laxus knew was that he couldn't give up; even if Freed did have feelings for Lucy. Laxus just loved her too much to even think of giving up, and damn it; he deserved happiness too. Everyone deserved happiness.

 _May the best man win_ , Laxus thought as he closed his eyes to get some much needed rest.

* * *

 **Okay, so this was another one of those "i know exactly what to put in here but it didn't want to write" chapters. I restarted this thing like, four or five different times before it actually wanted to flow right. I'm sorry for a late update, which, imo isn't really late at all; because I don't really have a set schedule. My updates are sporadic. I write when I get the surge of inspiration.**

 **I was going to add more. Like, them actually meeting my OC and starting the job; but I decided to end it here for now. I felt that was a great place to stop this chapter.**

 **I decided to take down "Unarranged" and just focus on this story and write one-shots to help gain motivation when needed. I am working on a spin-off to the song fic that I wrote; and might end up using that world as an actual plot-line because I do love BixLe, and it'll be fun writing in a POV that isn't Lucy. Levy is relatively easy to write, and so is Bickslow. Now, don't get your hopes up because it MAY not happen; but I do see it somewhat happening in the nearby future. I wanna get a lot of this written before I start another fic, or if I do start another fic this will be my main priority and the other one will have slow updates. Very slow.**

 **Anyways, thanks so much for the support you guys! I am soooo glad you all are enjoying this so much! It makes me happy to know you guys love my writing as much as I enjoy writing it, and it gives me a bunch of confidence. I lack a lot of that, so know you guys are doing good when you support me.**

 **Flames will be fed to Natsu.**

 **Remember to root for your ship! It's still open, sense I haven't actually written Lucy with any of the guys yet. Ofc, I have my favorite, but I am just letting my fingers glide along the keys and do whatever they want with the plot. The chapters from now on** _ **SHOULD**_ **be longer; though some may be shorter than others. The actual base of the plot doesn't really start until like, half-way in. Right now this is just Lucy opening up and trying to let others back into her life. I'm just going to write the interactions between the mages during this "arc". The next arc will have her starting to feel something for the boys as they get closer together. I currently have three "arcs" planned, which surprised myself but I am not complaining. I expected this fanfiction to be long, tbh. The village of Suta doesn't exist in Fiore, much to my knowledge and is a made up town. There'll be a few made up towns in this, because I don't really know all of the towns/villages in Fairy Tail by heart except for a few; Rosemary (where Erza grew up), Magnolia (obviously), Crocus (obviously), Margaret (where Lamia Scale is). Those are the only ones I remember, sadly. I remember there was a small village named Drummer Village, I think, where Lucy and Natsu had to take down some huge moles.**

 **~yorusorra**


	6. Chapter 5

_Suta was a beautiful town._

It was littered with all kinds of flowers, Sakura trees in full bloom. Beautiful bushes with all kinds of colorful flowers blossoming. There is a lake that sits in the middle of the park with a dock, with row boats out and people fishing. A shopping center as soon as you stepped off the train. It was like a lush garden with city life surrounding it.

Lucy glanced around in awe, her eyes bright as she took in all the sights. This was the best thing about being a wizard. You get to travel all around the world and see different sights, taste different foods, meet different people. The blonde always liked to sight-see when she entered a new place after a job; though Team Natsu was always impatient to get home. Which, she understood that, and she also wanted to go home and just relax after a hard job. However, she also liked to look at all the sights. It amazed her how different every place could look; especially places like this.

The Celestial Mage could see the other mages with her glancing around as well, taking in all the beautiful trees and flowers. She smiled softly at them. While she was still apprehensive about this job, another part of her was glad she took this job with them. She was always curious about the strongest mages of the Guild. Evergreen was right when she said she was always busy; Natsu always had a new adventure to go on. Always had a new job that he wanted to do, which was great because of his tendency to want to blow everything up and cause Lucy to lose all her rent money. She cringed at the memory, laughing lightly and wondering how she put up with it all the time. She was happy to give the reigns to Lisanna, even if she did miss the fire bastard.

"How about you guys find a hotel before we start the job?" Evergreen suggested, looping an arm around Lucy's, "while me and Lu go shopping!" Evergreen sang, pulling the blonde away before the boys could even protest.

Once they were far enough away from the boys, Lucy gave Evergreen an amused look. "Are you sure we should have done that?" The blonde asked warily with a small chuckle. "Laxus is sure to yell at us the next time he sees us," the Celestial Mage pointed out with a smirk.

Evergreen just shrugged at that. "Let him yell," the brunette quipped, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Besides, I wanted some girl-time with you before we had to be with the boys twenty-four-seven. We won't be able to do that for a while," the Fairy Mage sighed dramatically, causing Lucy to snort in an unladylike manner. Evergreen grinned at that; glad there was at least some life left in the blonde. Now only if the rest would come back.

The girls spent a few hours in the shopping district, getting to know each other and buying a few new outfits and jewelry. Lucy couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun. It also surprised her that while Evergreen may look scary, deep inside she was also a girly-girl. She was much like Erza in that sense; maybe that was why they had a rivalry similar to Natsu and Gray's? Lucy giggled at that thought. Of course, she'd never say that out loud. She valued living, thank you very much.

"Hey Lu..." Evergreen began, causing the blonde to look over at her in curiosity. "I know we don't really know each other very well, but you know you can trust me, right? If anything is bugging you, you can tell me and I can try and help. I don't know how much help I can be, but I can at least try."

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise. Had her facade slipped? She was sure that no one noticed the inner turmoil going on inside her head. The blonde Celestial Mage shook her head from that thought and gave Evergreen a bright smile. "Thank you for the sentiment, Ever. I'll think about your offer, but really, I'm fine," she forced out, keeping her smile while she was actually screaming on the inside. She wasn't ready for this. Not now. She didn't know if she'd ever be ready for this, but she knew the question would come up eventually again.

Evergreen gave her a scrutinizing look, causing the blonde to bite her lip. After a few minutes, the older mage just nodded; causing Lucy to let out a sigh of relief. "We better head towards the Orphanage," the brunette concluded, a sigh escaping her lips. "This was nice while it lasted though." Evergreen smiled lightly as she glanced over at Lucy.

Lucy nodded her head in agreement. "I don't get to do this often; so it's nice to be able to hang out every once in a while," she confessed with a small smile. "It was nice." It really was. Lucy missed hanging out with friends. It was something she didn't do often, since everyone was going about with their own lives at the moment. She didn't fault it with them though; they've all just been really busy throughout their time since the Guild reformed.

The Fairy Mage smiled slightly at her, before frowning at a thought. "What are we going to do with our bags?!" She whined, slouching a little at the prospect of having to carry them all the way over to the Orphanage and having to keep an eye on them all day. The older girl loved shopping; every girl loved doing it at least a little bit. It was just the fact of holding onto the bags until the day was over that sucked majorly.

"Don't worry, I got this," Lucy stated smugly, reaching for a key without looking at them. Her fingers brushed against a golden key and in a golden puff of smoke; the Maid Spirit appeared in a blink of an eye. "Hey Virgo," Lucy greeted affectionately, a bright smile on her face as she looked over at her beloved Spirit.

"Hello Princess. Punishment?" Virgo asked expectantly, her eyes bright at the thought.

Giggling, Lucy just rolled her eyes. "No, Virgo. No punishment. Can you take our bags to the Celestial Realm until we are done with the job for the day?" The blonde asked her Spirit kindly; gesturing towards the few bags that the two girls had.

"Of course, Princess. Anything else?" Virgo asked as she hefted the bags up without much effort.

"No thank you Virgo, that'll be all," Lucy dismissed her Spirit with a bright smile. Virgo just bowed before disappearing in a puff of smoke as the blonde turned to face Evergreen. "Ready to go?" The blonde asked cheerily, standing up straighter. Evergreen just raised an eyebrow but nodded her head, looping her arm around Lucy's as they headed towards the Orphanage, chatting vividly along the way.

* * *

The guys were already there, waiting for the girls outside of the Orphanage building. Laxus was eyeing the girls with a look, causing Lucy to cowar a little behind Evergreen. Evergreen, on the other hand, sent Laxus a smug look. "Did you girls have fun?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, glancing between Lucy and Evergreen expectantly.

"In fact we did," Evergreen quipped, causing Laxus to roll his eyes at her tone. "It was fun without you boys for a change!" She teased lightly, causing Bickslow to roll his ruby eyes.

"Come on Ever, we aren't that bad!" The Seith Mage whined as his babies flew around his head, giggling while repeating "That Bad! That Bad!" over and over again. Lucy giggled at their antics, causing the Seith Mage to grin even more. One of them landed on Lucy's shoulder, causing the girl to raise an eyebrow as she glanced over at the Seith Mage. Bickslow just shrugged, his eyes widening when the totem nuzzled her cheek; giggling.

"It's never done that to one of us before," Evergreen stated in awe as she watched the Totem nuzzle against Lucy's cheek for a few more seconds before flying back over with its other buddies, flying around the mages as they all stared at them with a weird expression.

"Maybe I'm special?" Lucy offered cautiously, her eyes blinking in amazement.

"Probably," Evergreen chuckled with amusement, shaking her head at the totems that flew around them while they giggled in glee, "it's not too far fetched." Lucy was special.

She just didn't realize it herself.

"We better head inside," Laxus grunted, nodded his head towards the entry-way of the Orphanage. "Since you girls picked out the job, you get to go first. You know the drill, Ever," Laxus stated smugly as Evergreen groaned, knowing all too well what the drill was. Without another word, she started walking towards the door; not before she grabbed a hold of Lucy's elbow and pulled the blonde with her; protesting and all.

The boys followed the girls towards the entrance, stopping once they made it to the door. Evergreen let go of Lucy's elbow and rapped her knuckles along the steel door; waiting patiently for it to open. A few minutes went by before the door decided to open; revealing a very pretty women who appeared to be in her early thirties. Long, dark purple hair in a high pony tail that cascades down to her mid-back. Emerald green eyes that were kind of slanted, full pink lips, freckles dotted her face. She wore a bohemian styled blue-green floral dress that flowed down to her feet; wearing yellow sandles that matched the flowers on her dress.

She glanced between the mages warily, Lucy could tell she hadn't slept in a while. There were bags under her eyes, and she seemed stressed. Lucy could understand; she was probably paranoid about the mages that were after her money. She didn't want any of her children getting hurt; which was the whole reason why the five of them were here.

"Hello miss, we are the Fairy Tail mages that you requested for your job," Evergreen introduced, handing the girl the flier that they plucked from the request board. "I'm Evergreen. This is Lucy, Bickslow, Freed and Laxus," the Fairy Mage pointed towards everyone. Bickslow and Lucy waved at the woman, Freed nodded his head and Laxus just grunted; his arms were crossed over his chest.

The woman's eyes brightened up when Evergreen introduced themselves. "Thank goodness! Come in, come in!" She gushed, ushering the five inside the building. Evergreen grabbed a hold of Lucy's arm and dragged her inside, the boys following the girls. The purple haired girl closed the door behind them once they entered the building, a bright smile was plastered on her face. "I am so glad someone responded to my job. I was getting so worried that one of the children would get hurt, and I couldn't live with myself if that happened!" She fretted, her lips pursing in worry for a brief minute. "Oh, but where are my manners! I haven't even introduced myself! I'm Mireya Clary, but you can call me Reya," Reya waved her hands dismissively; a smile still on her face as she glanced between the mages.

"It's nice to meet you Reya," Lucy grinned back at her, her eyes sparkling with happiness. This woman's attitude was contagious. She already loved the woman. You could tell how deeply she cared for her kids as if they were her own. It was nice, in a sad kind of way. While Lucy didn't exactly get along with her father; at least she wasn't abandoned by him. These kids were abandoned by their parents in some way, shape or form. It saddened Lucy to think about.

"Where are the children?" Freed asked, breaking Lucy's reverie. Lucy glanced over at Freed, raising an eyebrow before glancing back over at Reya, who's eyes brightened considerably at the mention of her children. Lucy smiled softly. Yes, you can definitely tell this woman loved the children very much.

"They are out back playing on the playground," Reya explained with a grin. "My partner is out there with them right now if you'd like to see how many children you'll be protecting?" All the mages nodded their heads, causing the purple-haired woman to beam. "Follow me, it's this way!" She chirped as she started to walk down the hall passing many rooms. The Fairy Tail mages followed behind the girl closely; all eager to see the kids that she was raising.

Once they finally made it out the back, Reya threw open a sliding glass door; letting the mages walk out first so she could close it shut after them. Before they could even make it to where the kids were playing, a small, petite looking young woman glanced up from helping a kid off a swing. She grinned as she rushed over to the group, pulling said kid behind her. "Reya! I was wondering where you went off too!" The young woman grinned, her blue hair falling into her eyes as she glanced up at the older girl with a sparkling eyes.

"Ah, Margot! These are the mages that will be helping us!" Reya pointed to the mages behind her. "Fairy Tail mages, this is Margot Demsey. She helps me run this little Orphanage, and I am grateful to have her!" She grinned proudly, causing the young blue-haired girl to blush.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all!" Margot bowed to the Fairy Tail mages, causing them all to blink in surprise at her.

Lucy chuckled nervously. "You don't need to bow at us," she waved a hand dismissively in front of her face, glancing down at the child that was standing behind Margot; clutching her right leg. Lucy bent down to meet her level, a small smile was on her face. "Hello there. What's your name?" She asked tentively, trying not to scare the little girl.

The little girl blinked owlishly at Lucy, clutching the dress that Margot was wearing. "I-I'm L-Lesia..." The small girl answered quietly; hiding her face into Margot's dress, but peeking just a little to look at Lucy's face.

The blonde Celestial Mage grinned, holding her hand out for the little girl to shake. "Hello there Lesia, it's nice to meet you. I'm Lucy. I hope we can become friends." Lesia continued to look at the blonde owlishly before diving in for a hug; shocking the mage completely. Her eyes widened a the contact, but immediately returned the hug. She failed to noticed the wide eyes that the two partners were giving her as she began to pat the little girls head.

One thing was for certain. She wasn't going to let these kids get hurt. They would capture these dark mages.

 _Or they weren't Fairy Tail._

* * *

 _ **Hey guys! I promise I am still writing. Writer's Block decided it wanted to hit for a little while, and than life hit. I decided I am going to go to Cosmetology School in a year or so, so I have been looking into schools for that; as well as finding a job so that I can pay for Cosmetology School. Also, I've been trying to get out more. Hang out with my only friend from High School (the only one I really like, anyways. Heh.) I've also been coming up with a background for some of these OCs so that it'll be somewhat easier to write them into the story. I own every OC you see here, and Background Stories are important to me. Especially with my OCs.**_

 _ **I also apologize if this Chapter seemed a little bland. This is where the excitement kicks in! Margot kind of demanded to be written in here. She wasn't part of the original plan. Reya wanted a partner, helper or whatever and Margot decided that she wanted to join in on the fun! Lesia also has a somewhat big role; though how big of role I won't spoil for you all. ;) I am excited to write some of these scenes! I loved writing Reya though. She has a big complex plot that will be a blast to write. LovelyLovelyLove actually helped me with her backstory.**_

 _ **I appreciate everyone who reviews! Really, you guys make my day every time I see a new review! And every one of you who follows/favorites without reviewing, thank you as well. While I do wish you guys would review at least once; I love that you guys are taking time out of your day to read this. So I truly appreciate it! If you don't like the story, please don't leave negative comments. Flames will be fed to Natsu.**_

 _ **Someone said that these characters seem a little OOC. I apologize for that. I am trying to keep them in character as much as I can; sometimes it's hard to keep track of the characters, loool. But I am trying! Promise! :) Remember to root for your ship. Freed and Laxus are pretty much tied in the winnings, while poor Bixy is left in the dust. But I'm sure once I start writing him in more people will start voting for BixLu. XD Than I will have a much tougher choice ahaha.**_

 _ **~yorusorra**_


	7. Chapter 6

"Five more minutes..."

Lucy rolled her eyes, shaking her head in amusement. "It's _been_ five minutes, Ever..." she chuckled, her eyes shimmering with amusement. Lucy had been _trying_ to get the older mage up for ten minutes now to no avail. They had to be at the orphanage in less than an hour in order to watch for anything suspicious. Lucy was already ready to go; but Ever had yet to wake up. "If you don't get up right now, I will sick Virgo on you. Better yet, I'll get Laxus in here!" The blonde threatened. Lucy knew first hand how evil Virgo was if you didn't wake up on time. Now with Laxus, she wasn't sure; but she was assuming that he would be just as bad; if not worse.

Evergreen's eyes shot open at the mention of Laxus. "Okay, okay. I'm up!" Fear of the wrath that Laxus would make if he had to wake her up started to seep into her cores. "No need to get the devil..." The brunette muttered grumpily, causing the younger girl to giggle at her childish behavior. Lucy wasn't sure who the Fairy Mage was referring to, but she had a pretty good guess on who.

"We have to be at the Orphanage in forty-five minutes, Ever. Get your ass up and get ready!" Lucy threw a pillow at Evergreen, shrieking in surprise when she threw a pillow back at her. Lucy's eyes widened with surprise as Evergreen chuckled evilly, a michievious glint in her eyes.

"Do you really want to get into this now?" Evergreen asked teasingly, a playful smirk on her face.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at the challenge. Usually, she would have accepted that challenge full-force. But... "I would accept that challenge, but we're going to be late as it is..." She huffed playfully, causing Evergreen's smirk to deepen. "Now if you don't get up _willingly_ , I _will_ get Laxus in here!" The blonde threatened again, grinning when the look of horror appeared on Ever's face.

"You're evil..." The Fairy Mage grumbled childishly. Lucy rolled her eyes, throwing Evergreen's overnight bag at her before she walked out of the room; closing the door so the mage could get ready.

Lucy walked down the hall towards where the kitchen and living area were, pausing to raise an eyebrow at the scene before her. The guys were already inside the room; Bickslow and Laxus were lounging on the couch watching the Lacrima Screen; while Freed was rummaging through the refrigerator and making a sand which with the sand which food that Lucy bought for the trip. While Lucy really didn't need to buy any food (Virgo was more than happy to make food for the blonde Celestial Mage), she thought it perdent that they had something to make themselves when they came back. With the guys here though, she may have to buy more sand which food.

"How did you guys even get in here?" Lucy questioned, though she learned by this point not to really question the lives of her guild mates. It was just nice to have the actual answers.

Laxus just shrugged as his eyes never moved from the Lacrima Screen. Lucy rolled her eyes, turning towards Bickslow; though he too, kept his eyes on the screen. Lucy just sighed, shaking her head as she walked into the Kitchen to where Freed was standing. "Hello Freed, good morning," the blonde greeted the Rune Mage with a bright smile as she too made a sand which.

Freed watched her make a sand which. "Hello, Lucy. Good morning to you as well." Lucy's eyes shined with happiness at the greeting as she finished up her sand which; taking a bite before putting all the ingredients back. "Is Ever awake?"

Lucy just snorted at that, making Freed's eyes widen in surprise. "Barely. I had to threaten her to get up," she giggled at the thought, a smirk on her face. Freed just chuckled, nodding his head in understanding. Evergreen was always the hardest to get awake in the morning. While she was usually a high riser, when she wanted more sleep you basically had to roll her over to get her to wake up.

"What did you threaten her with?" A new voice pipped up, causing Lucy to glance over at Bickslow. He was mildly curious; okay, he was a lot curious. He wanted to know the secret of getting Ever up when she was in her mood for more sleep. It would be of _great_ help in the future; or for great pranks.

Scratching her cheek, Lucy chuckled nervously as she glanced around the kitchen. "I... um... might have threatened her by saying I'll get Laxus to wake her up..." The blonde mumbled, ducking her head shyly to conceal her face. Laughter could be heard in the room and Lucy dared to look up to see Bickslow laughing; holding his stomach with his hands as he bellowed. Freed was chuckling as well, amusement shone in his eyes while Laxus had a smirk on his face. He rolled his own eyes as he glanced over at Lucy, amusement shone in them for a brief minute before they faded to his indifferent look.

"Well, I guess whatever works, works..." Freed chuckled, shaking his head but stopped laughing suddenly. Lucy raised an eyebrow before turning her head around; grinning sheepishly at Evergreen as she huffed at the blonde. While she tried to look angry; it didn't show through all too well.

"Once again, you're evil..." Evergreen muttered, causing Lucy to roll her eyes at the older mage. Thankfully, they had ten minutes to spare before they had to leave; so that gave Ever enough time to make a sand which or something to eat before leaving.

"Maybe if you would have gotten right up I wouldn't have had to threaten you," Lucy quipped with a nonchalant shrug. Evergreen rolled her eyes as she plopped down in between Laxus and Bickslow, ignoring their grumbling as she made herself comfortable. "So what's the plan today?" Lucy asked as she glanced around the room at the mages; her curiosity peeked at what the Rajinshu did for a mission. A part of her was really excited to be working with such an elite team of mages. She had always wondered how they operated on missions. Did they have plans? Or did they enter the mission head first? They seemed to be the group who made plans and actually followed through. Unlike Team Natsu; who normally ignored Lucy's well thought-out plans and went straight for the action.

"Without knowing how strong these mages are or what magic they use, it will be difficult to formulate a plan," Freed was the one who answered. Lucy turned her gaze towards the greenette as he crossed his arms over his chest; a serious look on his face.

Laxus grunted in agreement as he turned his gaze to look at the blonde girl who was standing beside Freed. "We'll play it by ear for now. See how strong these mages are, what magic they use. Once we find that out than we can make a plan to try and capture these mages," he added to what Freed said, pushing himself off the couch and stretching his arms.

Lucy nodded her head in understanding, figuring that was that was the best route to go. Forming a plan without knowing some of the key components is hard. Still, it was nice to know that the group looked so far ahead in things.

Soon the gang got everything they needed together before heading out towards the Orphanage. While walking, they had idle chit-chat along the way; well, it was mostly Lucy and Evergreen chatting and Bickslow interrupting with a joke every so often. While it was nostalgic, Lucy had missed this. Going on missions with a team made the job even more fun; going alone can sometimes get lonely. Lucy knew what loneliness was from experience from her childhood. It wasn't something that she wished upon anyone.

When the Orphanage building came into view, Lucy brushed her fingers against her keys; touching one of them without looking. In a puff of golden light, Loke appeared in front of her with an smug grin on his face as he took a hold of Lucy's hand. "Your knight in shining armor has arrived!" He stated dramatically, kissing the top of her knuckles.

Lucy just rolled her eyes, missing the jealous stares that the Lion was getting from the other three males. "Loke, great to see you as always." The blonde chuckled with a long, bedraggled sigh. "Look, I called you out here today to help us keep watch. I know you can feel magic easily; so can you tell me when you feel something is off? Only the five of us that I know of have magic," she told her loyal Spirit kindly, who was nodding his head as he walked beside his Princess towards her destination.

"Wait, he can do that?" Bickslow asked, honestly surprised. He'd known the guy for a while; knew that he was a Celestial Spirit before anyone in the Guild. So to know that he was this strong now while being a Spirit was fascinating. It made him wonder why Loke wanted to hide away in the human world for so long; but he also knew that wasn't his place to know.

"I can do many things with Lucy as my owner," Loke quipped up lovingly, causing said blonde to roll her eyes again. "Like I once told you, we Spirits grow stronger with the power of love. I wasn't lying when I said that. All of the Spirits Lucy is contracted too are a hundred percent stronger than what they used to be."

At that declaration, Lucy blushed; causing all the mages around her to smirk. "That... that's not true!" Lucy sputtered, embarrassed by her Spirits antics.

Loke just smirked at her sudden shyness, draping an arm around her shoulders. "Denying what is true. You can feel it, can't you? The connection you have with your Spirits is stronger than any other Celestial Mage that has ever lived. Even stronger than Yukino's, and she loves her Spirits almost just as much as you do," Loke stated matter-of-factly, causing the blonde to blush even more at her loyal Spirits words. Nothing more could be said as the mages made it to the building; though, all of a sudden, Loke froze.

The Celestial Mage glanced over at her Spirit, raising an eyebrow; intrigued as to why her Spirit would freeze. It took a lot to make the Spirit freeze as he usually took everything in stride. "What's wrong, Loke?" She asked curiously, touching the Lion's arm affectionately; missing the growls that imitated from the boys behind her and Evergreen's roll of her eyes.

"You said you were the only ones with magic?" Loke asked softly, gazing down at his key holder with an intense gaze. Lucy's eyes shimmered with confusion, and she was about to ask what was wrong again before the Lion Spirit shook his head as if to get rid of his thoughts. "No, no. It's probably nothing..." He muttered to himself, a frown etched on his face.

Lucy frowned as well, but shook her head. She'd talk to him later about whatever was clearly bothering him. For now though, she had to focus on the task at hand. She was about to knock on the steel door when it opened; Reya standing at the entrance with a bright smile. "Welcome, welcome! Wait, weren't there only five of you the other day?" The woman asked with a frown as she stared at Loke, who stared at her back with an expression Lucy couldn't fathom.

"This is my Spirit, Leo. Though, we just call him Loke," Lucy introduced warmly with a bright smile as she gazed up at her Spirit with a proud gaze. "Loke, this is Mireya. She owns this Orphanage with the help of Margot. By the way, Reya, where is Margot?" The blonde asked as she glanced around the room, wondering where the blue-haired girl was at.

"Maggie is with the children out back," Reya waved her hands dismissively. "It's about time for lunch though, so you came at the right time. Are any of you hungry?" She asked as she glanced around, an eyebrow raised expectantly. The boys all nodded their heads, causing Lucy and Evergreen to laugh at their antics while Loke just stared at the woman in front of him.

Something was off with her, though he didn't exactly know what. The Lion pursed his lips as he followed the other mages; listening intently to the girls talking. Loke smiled at that. It was nice to see Lucy having some of her light back. It honestly hurt, that they couldn't do anything to help her. They've tried so hard; but nothing seemed to work. She hid her pain well, so well that even her Spirits couldn't tell half the time when she was feeling down and out of sorts.

While Loke knew that Lucy wasn't all the way better yet, she was getting there. With the help of some unlikely allies to boot. He never would have imagined that these particular mages would have stepped up to take on the challenge of reviving our dear Celestial Mage. Loke was sure if it was going to be anyone, it would have been Levy or Mirajane. Or even Wendy; even though the small mage was very soft-spoken, she cared for the Celestial Spirit Mage very much and even thought of the girl as an older sister.

Once they made it to the back, the door was thrown open. All the kids were playing on the play ground again, which made Lucy smile fondly. She had always adored kids. Even wanted some herself one day in the future. She wanted someone who she could pass her magic down to; so that her Spirits would always be loved by a good mage. That was important to her. She didn't want her Spirits to end up with horrible mages like Karen or Angel. They deserved so much better than that, and Lucy was determined to give them the life that they all deserve.

"Children!" Reya called out, getting all of the kids attention. Lucy glanced around for Lesia, grinning broadly when she saw the brunette playing with a couple of kids from the Orphanage. "The nice mages from yesterday are here! Remember, be nice to them. They are here helping out for a few weeks," she told the kids kindly. All of the kids eyes brightened at the news as they all scurried over to the six mages; eyes alight with curiosity.

"What magic do you guys do?!" One of the kids, a young boy with messy black hair, freckles and ruby red eyes asked, eyes wide with excitement. All the other kids nodded their heads in agreement to the question; wanting to know what the mages did. They were all very curious kids, and were eager to learn.

"Well, I use Celestial Magic," Lucy was the first to reveal as she took out a key, swiping it in front of her. Plue appeared before her, raising a paw at her in greeting with a wobbly smile. "This is Plue, he's a companion Spirit. I have many other Spirits, including Loke here," she added with a smile, placing a hand on Loke's shoulder.

He smiled down at her before looking back at the children in front of them. "I use light magic; but I am also the leader of the Zodiacs; Leo the Lion. Nice to meet you all," the Lion introduced himself in a proud tone, a smirk on his face that caused the other mages other than Lucy to roll their eyes.

"It's impressive that you have such a strong Spirit in your ranks, Lucy," Reya stated warmly, a bright look on her face. Lucy blushed, ducking her head shyly.

"She actually has most of the Zodiac in her possession," Loke stated proudly, careful not to say anything that might reveal some secrets that he knew Lucy would rather be kept hidden. He didn't know for sure if she had told these mages what had happened or not, but he wasn't going to be the one to reveal that sort of information until he knew for certain she was ready for such a reveal.

Mireya gave Lucy an impressed gaze. So young, but to have all those Zodiac Spirits was a feat for a Celestial Mage. It seems this young blonde has a lot to live for in the arts of Celestial Magic. She glanced at the other mages in question, waiting for them to reveal what magics they used.

"I'm a Fairy Mage," Evergreen was the next to speak up, causing all eyes to land on her. "I can also turn people to stone using my eyes; but my glasses protect that part of my magic, I take them off to use my stone eye." She didn't want to scare the little kids, and Reya gave the mage a grateful look at that explaination.

"I guess I'll go next," Bickslow stated in a smug voice as his babies flew around his head, repating "Go Next! Go Next!" The kids watched the totems in awe, causing Bicsklow to chuckle at their evident curiosity for his Babies. "I am a Seith Mage, which is a form of Soul Magic. These are my Babies. Say hello Babies!" Bickslow cackled as his Babies swirled around the kids in the air, giggling and saying "Hello! Hello!"

"They are so cute!" A little girl squealed when one of the Totems nudged against her cheek for a brief minute, giggling and joining the other Souls in their dance.

Lucy chuckled at their antics, smiling when the same Totem that nudged her outside sat on her shoulder. She patted the top of the Totem, causing it to giggle before it flew off again to fly with its buddies. "Do they have their same personalities, or do they feed off your personality, Bickslow?" Mireya asked, genuinely curious as she glanced over to the Seith Mage after watching the Totem land on Lucy's shoulder.

"They all have different personalities," he answered with a shrug. "Sometimes they feed off of my energy, but most the time they act for themselves. They were all human once, remember that. So they still have some of their human personality." He added with a small smile. It was obviously how much he cared for them; just as much as Lucy cared for her Spirits.

"I use Rune Magic," Freed spoke up next once the Babies finally settled down. "Its a type of Letter magic that comes in handy in a battle. I also have an Eye magic called Dark Ecriture in which is related to my Rune Magic."

"I'm a Lightning Dragon Slayer," Laxus answered last in a gruff voice. The kids eyes widened when he said he was a Dragon Slayer. "While, I don't use the Dragon part of my magic a lot, it is still there for me to use. I usually stick to my lightning magic, as it is what I am most comfortable using."

"Splendid!" Mireya cheered, clasping her hands together tightly with a wide smile. "These nice mages are here to help us, so be nice to them, okay?" She reminded the kids in a bright and cheery tone that shook the other mages to the core. The kids eyes were wide with wonder as they nodded their heads in agreement, making Reya clap her hands in happiness. "Good! Now, hop along children! It's lunch time!"

Cheers echoed around the group as the kids followed Mireya; Margot leading the rear of the children as she sent the group of mages a bright smile. Lucy smiled back as she sent Plue back; leaving Loke out as the group followed behind closely.

As they made it to the mess hall, Reya shooed the kids inside the kitchen before glancing over at the mages. "What would you like? Today we're serving Chili or Vegetable Soup for the little ones who don't like meat. We have a few vegetarians who prefer Veggie Soup," she chuckled with humor as she watched Margot lure the kids into their seats.

Lucy's mouth watered when Reya mentioned what she was serving and pondered over which soup she should get. Both were her favorites, she made them often in her own apartment. "I'll have the Veggie Soup," Lucy decided with a small smile. Reya nodded her head as she asked the other mages what they wanted before scurrying into the back to help Margot with the soups.

After the woman had gone Lucy turned to her Spirit, furrowing her eyebrows together. "What's wrong, Loke?" She asked him again, knowing something was already off. She just didn't know what was off yet; and that irritated her.

Loke's lips pursed into a thin line as he glanced down at his key holder. "Can't you feel it?" He asked instead, crossing his arms over his chest as he gave her an expectant look.

Lucy blinked at the sudden question, surprise entering her features. "What do you mean?" She tilted her head; looking like a lost kitten. Can you feel what? The blonde concentrated hard as she tried to feel all the energy surrounding her. Part of her training during the year gap was to feel the other energies around her. While she wasn't that good yet, she could still feel the powers emitating every mage arround her. She could easily tell how strong everyone had gotten over the past year; just like she could easily tell it was Natsu that she had seen at the Grand Magic Games when she was a low paid reporter.

When she finally found it, her eyes widened as she glanced over at Loke in shock, who just nodded his head solemnly. "But who is it?" She questioned as she glanced back to where the two partners went. How could she have missed it? It wasn't very big, but there was definitely some power there.

"What?" It was Laxus who finally asked the question that everyone was wondering. He was definitely confused and wanted to know what the two were talking about. They seemed to be speaking in code; at least, that's what it felt like to him.

Lucy glanced up at him, tilting her head to the side curiously before a light bulb went over her head. She chuckled nervously, glancing over at Loke before glancing back at the Lightning Slayer. "Someone else here can do magic," she told him quietly, watching as Mireya and Margot started to fill in the orders of the kids.

Laxus' eyes widened at that revelation. "Do you know which one it is?" He asked gruffly. It mustn't be very big if they all had missed it. But if it was still there, that could lead to some possible clues as to who they were looking for.

Shaking her head, she lowered her voice a little; knowing that Loke and Laxus could easily hear her, as well as the other mages. "I don't know which one has the magic. I just feel it there," she continued to watch the two as they placed the bowls of soup down in front of the children.

Laxus glanced over at Loke who just shrugged as well. "Same with my Princess. I just feel it there, I don't know which one has the magic." Laxus pursed his lips at this information, ignoring the fact that Loke had called Lucy his Princess for the moment. They needed to know which one held the magic that the two sensed. It could greatly help with their planning and gathering information.

"We have a table in the other room if you mages want to eat there," Reya's voice interrupted their conversation as they glanced up at her smiling face. They all nodded their heads as they followed the purple-haired girl, all deep in thought; trying to figure out what to do next.

* * *

 **Since my Inspo is back, I plan on trying to post biweekly. That gives me two weeks to write which is more than enough time to finish a chapter! Now for the day, that'll be spontaneous. Whenever I end up finishing the Chapter. You'll normally not see an update on the** _ **weekends**_ **, unless its** _ **late**_ **on Sunday. With that being said; I** _ **finally**_ **got a job, so they** _ **could**_ **be slow, but I am going to try and keep up with a biweekly schedule. Just know that if updates do end up being slow that I am still writing.**

 **I feel this is how the Rajinshu would act in this type of situation. Since they are trying to get Lucy's funk back. Evergreen is trying the hardest; and I feel that she would have this type of personality when not with the guys, or when she has someone to be playful with. Laxus under-went a HUGE personality change after his expellment and during these recent Chapters (as someone pointed out to me. Thank you. :D). The others aren't really seen that often, especially in this arc (which is sad, because these guys are actually some of my favorite characters and I love writing them).**

 **Flames will be fed to Natsu. If you didn't like it, than please don't post hateful comments. :) Just a reminder. There's no need to waste your time on something you clearly didn't like anyways. I appreciate all of you though, even the hateful comments if you decide to post one! Natsu needs a snack anyways!**

 **~yorusorra**


	8. AN

_**First I would like to apologize. There won't be an update for a while, as I have gotten a serious case of writers block. Which is really weird, because I had such amazing ideas; and than suddenly they all just vanished into thin air. I am going to re-evaluate my notes that I have. I might just scrap all this and replot everything from the beginning. I feel bad about this, but I don't know what happened.**_

 _ **Another thing. I got a job. Yay me! Which means I probably won't have a lot of time to write. Which means this will probably be on Hiatus until I can do something about it. Sorry guys, again. I promise I am not abandoning this though and I am working on the next Chapter! I am going to continue with the ideas that I have instead of scraping it right away and see where it goes. If I have to though, I will regroup and replot my way through. I hope it doesn't come to that though.**_

 _ **Lastly, I love you guys to death! I didn't think that I'd get so much people wanting to read this story as I have! Thank you all so much! I adore Lucy as a character, and I feel she has a lot to tribute other than being "damsel in distress". I am going to try and show that side of her character. To the reviewer who says nasty things on a lot of peoples stories, saying that Lucy isn't a strong character and yada, yada, yada; don't post reviews if you don't like Lucy as a character! A lot of people do, including myself. Besides that, this is FANFICTION, so if it's not to your liking than too fucking bad! If you think you can do better; write your own damn fanfiction! Sheesh.**_

 _ **I hope you all continue to read this! I really do promise that I am not abandoning this at all; I just need time to regroup and try to write the next part of the story. Don't be surprised if I actually do end up starting all over.**_

 _ **~yorusorra**_


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